ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr has welcomed a federal government commitment to spend $11.4 million to reopen the mothballed AIS Arena, while adding he was enjoying seeing Liberal ACT senator Zed Seselja under pressure.
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Mr Barr said it was a good thing the federal election campaign had started because it had forced money to start flowing from the Commonwealth into its assets in the ACT.
The new federal funding for the AIS Arena bypassed stalled negotiations with the ACT government, Senator Seselja said, adding the ACT government was not "really willing to come to the table".
Mr Barr told a press conference it was not the responsibility of the ACT government to invest in or maintain a Commonwealth asset.
"[Senator Seselja is] not asking me to half fund the National Library or Parliament House. I note there didn't need to be an engagement with the ACT government over Commonwealth Avenue Bridge or Scrivener Dam. Why is the Australian Institute of Sport something that the ACT government and ACT taxpayers would be funding? It's such an extraordinary thing for him to say," Mr Barr said.
Mr Barr said the funding announcement showed Senator Seselja was under significant political pressure.
"I'm enjoying watching him under this political pressure because he's finally under this pressure on the eve of an election where his seat is at risk, finally doing a few things for Canberra. Isn't it great to have a senator delivering a few things for us?" he said.
Mr Barr also rejected the suggestion the ACT government had been unwilling to discuss with the Commonwealth the future of the AIS Arena. He said the ACT government would discuss the precinct's future with the federal government after the election and had already flagged the discussion with federal Labor counterparts.
A trove of correspondence seen by The Canberra Times shows the ACT government repeatedly seeking commitments from the federal government, while remaining open to discussions, on the future of the AIS and the arena.
Mr Barr in August 2020 wrote to Prime Minister Scott Morrison to make the case for an AIS Arena upgrade.
"The sudden, unannounced closure of the arena did not allow the ACT government any time to consider alternative arrangements or development. We, therefore, implore you to urgently address the compliance and safety upgrades needed to return the AIS Arena to a state whereby it can be used once again by Canberrans, even just in the short term," Mr Barr wrote.
The federal Labor member for Fenner, Andrew Leigh, on Tuesday declared if his party was elected, they would match the funding. "We will ensure that that money flows," Mr Leigh said.
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Independent ACT Senate candidate David Pocock said the commitment to reopen the mothballed AIS Arena was "more like the routine maintenance of infrastructure" and urged election debates on the "bigger picture".
"I think keeping the AIS Arena open or even doing maintenance works to Scrivener Dam shouldn't be announceables and especially not during an election campaign," he told The Canberra Times.
Kim Rubenstein, another independent Senate candidate for the ACT, said reopening the AIS was a welcome initiative but the focus on large-scale sports infrastructure showed the politicians in power were grossly out of touch with the community's real needs.
"It shouldn't take an election cycle for the major parties to no longer take the ACT for granted," Professor Rubenstein said.
"I look forward to more announcements from the government on the housing crisis, climate action, integrity and ACT health - the things our community really needs. These are the areas as an independent I will be pushing for directly in the Senate."
Work on the AIS Arena is expected to begin within six months and will target lighting, fire safety systems, lifts, mechanical services and electrical systems. Stadium seating is also set to be replaced. The arena will reopen by the first half of next year.
Senator Seselja was forced to leave campaigning for re-election in his tight ACT Senate race while undertaking an urgent mission to Honiara on the back of fears that China is securing military basing off Australia's coast.
Senator Seselja will travel to the Solomon Islands for two days this week to "further strengthen Australia's relationship" with the Pacific nation.
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